Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath at an election rally in Solapur on Wednesday.PTI- | Photo Credit: –
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath alleged on Wednesday that the Congress seeks to Islamise the country. He said the Congress was leading India towards a “second Partition,” and lambasted it for coining the term ‘Hindu terrorism.’
Mr. Adityanath is holding a series of rallies in Maharashtra to bolster the Mahayuti-NDA candidates. Prime Minister Modi has just finished a campaign tour of western Maharashtra.
Yogi Adityanath held public rallies in Solapur in support of the BJP’s Ram Satpute and later in Sangli and Kolhapur’s Hatkanangale Lok Sabha constituencies to bat for the BJP’s Sanjaykaka Patil and Dhairyasheel Mane of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. All three seats go to the polls on May 7 in the third phase.
Cow slaughter
He lashed out at the Congress for questioning the existence of Lord Ram and for allegedly allowing Muslims to slaughter cows across the country.
“Look at the Congress’ election manifesto. It says that it will allow minorities to have food of their choice. This amounts to allowing them to slaughter cows freely. Will India accept this?” said Mr. Adityanath. “It is a sin to vote for the Congress.”
He said the country’s borders were insecure, and terrorism and Naxalism were rampant during the Congress regimes. Mr. Adityanath said that India’s standing in the world, which had taken a knock, had been enhanced by ten years of BJP rule at the Centre.
“It was the Congress that coined the term ‘Hindu terrorism’ to insult the Hindu community. At that time, the UPA was in power. No one can violate our borders today,” said Mr. Adityanath, speaking in Solapur.
He criticised the failure of Congress governments in dealing with cross-border terrorism and national security issues. Presently if there is an incident in India, Pakistan is quick to offer explanations as it recognises the resolve of the ‘New India.’
New resolve
“This ‘New India’ respects sovereignty and refrains from unnecessary interference, but it also responds decisively to provocations. This is not the India of the Congress era, where a slap was met with requests for patience and peace… If someone dares slap us today, we will retaliate,” he said, adding that under the BJP terrorism and Naxalism had been curtailed.
“The Congress questioned the existence of Lord Ram. They claimed rivers of blood would flow if there was a resolution of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement… Look at their double standards. First, they questioned the existence of Lord Ram, and now they say Lord Ram belongs to everyone,” he said.
He compared inheritance tax to jizya.
“India will never accept this inheritance tax,” said the UP Chief Minister.